Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Child’s Play

Let’s talk toys. The recent epidemic of toy recalls has generated a lot of conversation at our dinner table, at my mommy&me playgroups, and (I’m sure) in millions of other homes. The question that comes up for me is, “What am I going to do about it?”

For starters, I’ve never been a big fan of a lot of the types of toys that are being recalled. Susan Linn, a psychologist who has studied media & marketing’s influence on children, says in her book CONSUMING KIDS: THE HOSTILE TAKEOVER OF CHILDHOOD:

“Play requires physical and/or mental activity. The impetus for play comes fromwithin children. It is their way of learning about the world. It is inherentlysatisfying in and of itself and requires no goal. Once a goal is more importantthan the activity, that activity is no longer play. In competitive sports, forinstance, once winning becomes more important than the process of playing, thegames or matches cease to be play. The ability to play and be playful is a signof health.

Once we acknowledge the importance of play, it makes sense thattoys—the things children play with[sic]—are also of critical importance. There’ssome unintentional irony in the face that so many toys today are labeled‘educational’. The best toys are inherently educational in that they serve astools for helping children actively explore, understand, and/or gain masteryover the world. Even if they have multiple parts, they are simple enough to beput to many different uses, and to become different things in a child’simagination.

The recent proliferation of computer chips that enable toys tomove or make sounds on their own renders children passive observers rather thanactive participants in play. Because children are attracted to glitz and becausethese are the toys being marketed to them, they may desperately want stuffedanimals or dolls or action figures that walk and talk independently, or toysthat whiz, bang, whistle, and hoot at the press of a button. However, becausethey discourage active, imaginative play, toys that do only one thing soonbecome boring; children use them a few times and then are ready for a new toythat does something else.”

I’ve written about this before. When we flood our kids’ playrooms with toys that do all the playing, all the exploring, all the thinking for them, we are taking away the most precious task of childhood. We’re not doing our kids any favors when we buy the plastic crap that sings and dances and shimmies and laughs. That’s not what kids are wired to need, anyway – they need real, live, caring adults to sing with them, dance with them, do some silly shimmies, and laugh and cry with them. But now I’m getting off track. When it comes to toys, kids have legitimate needs, too.

For kids in Jonas’ age group, the needs for play are in a few basic categories:–sensory/exploratory play–dramatic/pretend play–social/interactive play

Sensory and exploratory play is how toddlers learn about the world. Kids experiment with textures, smells, sights, and tastes all day long. Toys like sand & water tables, play-dough, art supplies, & bath toys fall into this category.

Dramatic and pretend play are just beginning to emerge in young toddlers. Children start out by imitating the things and people they see every day. They play at families, household tasks, driving in the car, and more. For this type of play, kids need things like vehicles, blocks, pretend food and dishes and appliances, dress-up clothes, dolls and baby gear, cleaning supplies, and all sorts of odds and ends that can be imagined into props.

Social and interactive play happens in all sorts of ways, and often without toys. When toddlers play peekaboo, chase, and tickle, they are learning about social exchanges. Still, there are toys that help facilitate this kind of play. Outdoor toys like hula hoops, riding toys, and parachutes are great. So are indoor things like balls and books. Anything that gets kids playing with (and talking to, if applicable) other children or grownups fits in here.

:::

Kids are ready and willing to plunge into play. All they need is the toys and materials that will support, and not hinder, their natural inclination. Which brings me back to my opening question. We’re planning to avoid made-in-China toys this year. There are dozens of great companies that are making toys in the US – and dozens more that are importing toys from other, more responsible nations. When it comes down to it, I’d rather spend my money on one, quality made, safe-for-my-son, creativity-fostering, appropriate-play-nurturing toy… than on a half-dozen quickly made, unsafe-or-at-least-suspicious, shiny plastic toys. I hope you’ll think about doing the same for your kids.

I’m working on some follow-ups to this post – some links to companies that offer quality products; more information from a few of the books I’ve been reading about children’s development, toys and playtime, and a few other hot parenting topics; and our Christmas lists. (;-D) Comments are open for debate, questions, and comments…. so fire away!

Comments

I guess that’s why it makes sense that kids would rather play with the box when they open their Christmas gifts. Boxes can do so many things and the kids on the box that are playing with the toy make it seem so much more fun and interesting than it actually is when it comes out of the box.

I remember my friend’s brother commenting on a toy he wanted when he saw a commercial (4th or 5th grade, he was in 3rd). She quickly told him that it looks much funner on tv than it would be at home because he didn’t have all the things in the commercial (like the background scenery and the other toys that went along with it).

I’m glad you wrote this. I don’t mind my kids having all different types of toys, but I notice a trend in the ones they continuously play with. They are blocks, stuffed toys, bath toys, art toys, riding toys…but the ones that serve no purpose other than singing a few songs rarely get picked up. It’s taken me a while to get to a point where I feel comfortable buying my kids one or two toys, rather than going into debt every year for birthdays and Christmas. I wanted my kids to have nice toys and games that I always saw at other people’s houses when I spent the night.

I’m definitely interested in the companies that don’t have toys made in China. We had a few of the toys on the recall list. They were made before the recall date though so we didn’t have to get rid of them.